Dirt Cheap Eats 2009: Sweetgreen

This string of eco-chic salad shops was started by a group of young Georgetown grads. Smartly, they’ve avoided the trap of too-grand ambitions and kept a narrow focus: bowls of greens done up with high-quality ingredients and low-cal frozen yogurt that isn’t artificial—the 80-calorie snack is made with tangy low-fat yogurt.

Although you’ll find Caesars and Cobbs, the best salads ($8 to $9 each) are more offbeat: a deconstructed take on guacamole with avocado, crushed corn chips, and cilantro-lime vinaigrette; a Greek-inspired toss of roasted shrimp, red grapes, mint, and chickpeas; and the Bondi, dressed up with wasabi peas, hearts of palm, and grilled chicken. Or you can get creative and design your own ($6 and up).

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Logan Circle.